U.S. Navy Installs AN/SLQ-32(V)6 System On DDG-96 For Operational Testing

U.S. Navy installed the Lockheed Martin SEWIP Block 2 System on DDG-96 for operational testing over the summer.

The U.S. Navy installed the Lockheed Martin SEWIP Block 2 System on DDG-96 for operational testing over the summer. This system is a significant to upgrade the fleet’s electronic warfare (EW) defenses against anti-ship missiles threats.

Lockheed Martin is currently under low-rate initial production contract for Block 2 of the Navy’s Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP), Lockheed Martin will upgrade the AN/SLQ-32 (V) 2 with key capabilities in the antenna, receivers and combat system interface for the fleet’s AN/SLQ-32 EW systems. The system is also the first sensor to be fully compliant with the product line architecture. All U.S. aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers and other warships can use this AN/SLQ-32 capability to determine if the electronic sensors of potential foes are stalking them.

“This latest Block 2 upgrade will ensure the AN/SLQ-32 system allows the system to continue to outpace the threat and establishes a framework to easily install future upgrades,” said Joe Ottaviano, Lockheed Martin’s SEWIP program director. “Preliminary results from the ships testing have been very exciting and exceeding our expectations. The system is providing detection capabilities that allow the warfighter to see the enemy before being seen.”

Block 2 is the latest in an evolutionary succession of improvement “blocks” the Navy is pursuing for its ship EW system, which will incrementally adds new defensive technologies and functional capabilities. In 2009, the Navy competitively awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to develop SEWIP Block 2. The company recently completed successful integration and test activities for two Block 2 engineering development models at Lockheed Martin’s EW systems test facility in Syracuse, New York.